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Fosness Family History

Fosness Surname Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Fodness, Osness, Forness, Furness, Fornes, Fones, Holness, Boness

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Fosness family from?

You can see how Fosness families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Fosness family name was found in the USA, Canada, and Scotland between 1871 and 1920. The most Fosness families were found in USA in 1920. In 1871 there were 4 Fosness families living in Angus. This was 100% of all the recorded Fosness's in Scotland. Angus had the highest population of Fosness families in 1871.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Fosness surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Fosness ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Fosness. 50% of Fosness men worked as a Farmer and 100% of Fosness women worked as a Maid.

View Census Data for Fosness | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    50%
  • Laborer
    25%
  • Helper
    13%
  • Farm Laborer
    13%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    100%

What Fosness family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 688 census records available for the last name Fosness. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Fosness census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Fosness

Passenger Lists

There are 82 immigration records available for the last name Fosness. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Fosness immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 79 military records available for the last name Fosness. For the veterans among your Fosness ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Fosness military records

You've only scratched the surface of Fosness family history

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What is the average Fosness lifespan?

Between 1966 and 2004, in the United States, Fosness life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1982, and highest in 1991. The average life expectancy for Fosness in 1966 was 75, and 69 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Fosness

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Fosness ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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